No offense taken.

My main purpose is to break through all of the misinformation out there and give a real explanation of what Black Tie really is. I don't think most men really have any idea - they just wear whatever the place that rented them their wedding tux came up with - which is very often just plain wrong for real fomal. I think most men would love to wear a tux, but are intimidated by their seeming specialness. But the rules are simple and it's no more difficult than wearing a suit. It simply requires a certain level of tradition to do it properly.

Plus, I think there is just too much: "Go ahead and wear your favorite parrot shirt to the main dining room on formal night. It's your vacation, you should be able to do whatever YOU want." Unfortunately, it's not JUST your vacation and other people ARE affected by what you wear. I'm willing to concede the point that many men will wear a suit rather than a tux (though the reasoning excapes me - why would any man not want to wear a tux given the chance?), but I simply am not willing to let polo shirts and dockers take over the deffinition of "formal." It is not OK now, nor will it ever be anything less than rude to wear casual clothing to a formal event.

Individual choice is great for the casual nights, leave the formal nights to those of us who love them and understand what they mean.